How scared are the satellite and cable providers of Netflix? So much so that DirecTV recently sent out a coupon to customers designed to look exactly like a Netflix mailer, except in blue. You know what they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery.

If you find yourself squinting at the theater, it might not be because of the standard plot holes and hacky exposition. It could be the lens of the projector. The Boston Globe reports on an unfortunate trend in some big movie chains where rather than swap out the 3-D lens when showing a 2-D moving, they leave it in place. The result can be an almost 85% darker projection, and should have audiences throwing popcorn at the screen. So how do you detect if they’re showing the movie improperly, while still charging you full ticket price?

We just finished watching Maxed Out, the recent documentary about the viperous evils of the credit industry. We agree with the basic premise: Underinformed debtors are getting taking advantage of. And the stories are horrific, with three different people driven to suicide because of debt. The doc does a good job of outlining the links from debtor, to bank, to debt collector, to government representatives. It’s a nasty apparatus.

Blockbuster will give you a free online rental for each Netflix envelope flap you bring into a store. You must have a Blockbuster membership to qualify. The promotions lasts until Dec. 21. It’s an effort to get Netflix subscribers to sign up for Blockbuster’s Total Access Online service.

• Quote of the week: “Dismissing this case at the outset would sacrifice liberty for no apparent enhancement of security.” [HoustonChronicle] “Judge Refuses to Dismiss EFF’s Spying Lawsuit Against US Government”

Why bother to pay for product placement when you can just make a whole damn movie? Burger King and Crispin Porter & Bogusky agree and have announced their intention to bring the burger to the big screen.